New Lee Valley Veritas #5 1/4W Bench Plane

Also called a junior jack, the traditional #5 1/4 was 12″ long, in between a #4 smooth plane at 10″ and a #5 jack at 14″. Our #5 1/4W differs from the original in many ways – mainly, ours has a wider blade and the mouth is 4 3/8″ behind the nose, unlike the original at 3 1/2″. For better accuracy, an extra-long sole in front of the blade makes it easier to keep the sole flush to the wood when starting a cut. Combined, the mouth location and sensitive feed adjustment let the #5 1/4W serve as a jointer for most cabinet work.

Like all our Veritas bench planes, the #5 1/4W bench plane incorporates a frog that extends all the way to the sole. This unique design provides complete blade support, reducing chatter and allows quick mouth adjustment. It can be closed to a narrow slit for fine shavings and minimum tear-out, or opened for heavier cuts, all without removing the lever cap or other parts; just loosen two screws and set the opening with the thumb wheel.

The body is fully stress-relieved ductile cast iron. The surface-ground 12″ × 2 1/2″ sole is flat and square to the sides, with extra-large side wings for stable shooting. The hardwood front knob and rear tote provide excellent control and comfort. A combined feed and lateral adjustment mechanism make blade setting easy and accurate. The 2″ wide lapped blade is a full 1/8″ thick, made in your choice of A2, O1 or PM-V11 tool steel.

Patented. Made in Canada.